


Dandelion

by Unihuppias



Category: Apex Legends (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Flower shop & Café, Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, mentions of Boone, miragehound
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-08
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-18 02:53:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,529
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28610880
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Unihuppias/pseuds/Unihuppias
Summary: Many citizens have heard about a certain mysterious flower shop owner and their raven friend, but for a man who has just moved in to start up a coffee shop across the street, they're nobody else than a new acquaintance along others. That is until a memorable first meeting of theirs ties their fates together.
Relationships: Bloodhound & Mirage | Elliott Witt, Bloodhound/Mirage | Elliott Witt
Comments: 21
Kudos: 32





	1. Lilium

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks a lot for @unsteadygalaxy (if you like miragehound, be sure to check their profile as well if you haven't already!) for betareading this for me before publishing! It appears that my English still needs a lot of practice, but I'm glad that someone has enough patience to correct my mistakes. c;
> 
> Anyway, I really wanted to write something, well, basic for these two. What would be better than an AU of this sort? Bloodhound has a flower shop while Elliott opens up a new café across the street with his friends. I hope you'll enjoy it! <3

The thin, gloved fingers of Bloodhound gently placed a bunch of yellow daisies into a bouquet, which they were currently trying to prepare to be put on the display. Their movements were precise and careful as they tried to place the flowers into it as perfectly as possible, but their concentration was suddenly interrupted when a familiar woman behind them opened her mouth again.

“Ah, it's so... beautiful,” Loba sighed in admiration, showing off the new glowing bracelet hanging around her wrist.

“I would recommend you to search for a proper job, Loba. Thievery does not ensure you a stable future,” Bloodhound's voice was quiet as they lowered their gaze back to the bouquet. They had picked each and every one of the flowers carefully to make it look appealing enough to be put on display. Visuals were important when people made their shopping decisions, after all. 

“As I have told you, you are welcome to work in my shop,” they soon added. Bloodhound leaned back in their chair to look at their newest creation, trying to spot any flaws that would need some kind of fixing. However, the bouquet looked beautiful to their own judging eye.

“Well, you know me… The plants die when I just look at them! It would be a disaster, don’t you think?” A light laughter fell from Loba's painted lips as she rolled her wrist to admire the newest piece of jewelry she had gotten just today. “Besides, do you think that working in a little shop like this one would actually be a good match to my expensive taste?” she smirked.

“Perhaps you are right. However, you know how smart you are, Andrade. An education could be an option too,” Bloodhound suggested with a light shrug of their shoulders. They knew how well Loba could do in any school of her liking, yet her dreams were filled with something else.

“Hound, my dear, I'm too old to spend years of my life studying and applying for jobs. I want to enjoy life, beautiful. And it's so pretty, isn't it? This bracelet,” Loba hummed as she showed it again, clearly pleased with her latest find.

“It does hold a certain kind of beauty in it,” Bloodhound admitted in a neutral tone. “However, as you may know already, it is not something that would affect my opinion on the subject anyhow.”

“You’re judging me again, aren’t you?” Loba whined to them with a fake pout on her lips. They knew well enough that she didn’t actually take their words into her heart, as it was not the first time the two had shared a similar conversation.

“I am in no position to judge you. Only the Gods can do such,” Bloodhound's voice was calm as they stood up and took the flower bouquet into their hands. They walked to the window display and carefully looked for a good spot to place it in.

“Ooh! Place it here!” Loba beamed and jumped down from the cashier’s table - where she wasn’t exactly allowed to sit on in the first place, but whatever - and stepped closer to show them where she had planned for the bouquet to go. Her heels made some noise with each hit against the floor and soon enough she had her arms wrapped around their neck as she pointed at the chosen spot.

“... Here?” Bloodhound inquired and got an enthusiastic nod in response. They hummed in thought, but after a moment of considering her idea, they decided to follow her lead. Loba had a good eye on things when it came to beauty, after all, and making things and surroundings look appealing was important for their business.

“Come on, are you still disappointed in me?” Loba pouted into their ear, trying to give them the most apologetic look possible. Bloodhound just tilted their head to the side with a cock of their brow as they breathed out in amusement at her comment.

“I am not disappointed in your decisions, mínn vinr. I was simply questioning if they are good for you as I am sometimes concerned for your safety and future,” they explained, crouching down on the ground to place the bouquet in its rightful place.

“I know that you are strong and capable of many things, but you can never know when the Gods decide that your path is to end.” Their voice stayed as neutral as ever as they stood back up. “I simply do not wish to lose you as well, Loba. You are a dear friend of mine. Be careful.”

“How lovely,” Loba said with a pout and wrapped her hands around their shoulders again. “That you care about me this much. But I know my steps better than the others... They will not catch me, not even these Gods of yours!”

She was too confident, too carefree - or so they thought, at least. Bloodhound knew how skilled she was in what she was doing, yet it still left them uneasy and worried. Perhaps they should only trust her, even if she dared even the mightier force with her words.

Suddenly the bell on the door rang and a man stepped inside, but he stayed near the exit, looking inside as if he would have interrupted them in some way. Bloodhound greeted the man with a nod, gesturing for him to come inside.

“Welcome. May I help you with something?” they asked, but soon felt Loba press a kiss of goodbye on the corner of their glasses before walking right past the recently arrived customer. She winked her eye at them and gestured towards the man behind his back. She silently mouthed something, _"cut_ _e"_ if they read it right, only for Bloodhound to see. She often did this; tried to find a possible partner for them to take on a night out. Anyone with decent looks and a good smile would be enough to make her suggest it, no matter how many times they had told her that they weren’t looking for a relationship right now if ever at all. Bloodhound simply shrugged it off with a roll of their eyes.

“Okay, then! I'll be leaving now, beautiful. I'll drop in later, okay?" she promised with a smooth wave of her hand, but soon disappeared in the masses of people walking on the street. She didn't like to stay around when there were other customers.

“Your girlfriend?” the smile on the man’s lips caused dimples to form on his cheeks.

“I might soon have one too if this date goes well! Gosh, I hope it does…” he muttered while starting to walk around the shop with a thoughtful expression on his face. The deep focus was clear on his face; his brows were furrowed as he rubbed his beard, sighing at times in a frustrated way for being so indecisive.

And though what Bloodhound and Loba had was only a deep friendship, almost a family-like bond and thus far from anything romantic, they felt no need to correct it to the customer. Instead they took a few steps closer, fingers crossed behind their back as they followed after him to see the options he was looking at.

“I see. So you are buying flowers for this date of yours?” Bloodhound asked from him.

“Yeah! Yeah. She, uh- I think she likes purple? Or something. At least based on her pictures on the dating app…” the customer nodded before turning his gaze to Bloodhound.

“Can you recommend something? I’ve bought roses or something, like, so many times but I reeeally don’t wanna mess this thing up. You know? I want to bring something different than just roses this time. But, like, not too different. Just not roses," he explained.

A proper flower to bring for a first date, not too unique yet not as common as a rose, preferably purple… Bloodhound had an idea.

“Would lilies work?” they asked and gestured for the customer to follow their lead as they walked across the small shop to the other side.

“Often pink ones are something that you bring to someone that you are attracted to, but you can mix them together with purple ones to achieve a beautiful and suitable result for a first date”, Bloodhound explained as they showed the flowers to him. The customer seemed curious as he kept nodding along their words to approve their idea.

“Sounds good! Awesome. Yeah, I’ll take those!” he nodded again in a determined way with clear confidence in his eyes. “Pick a few good ones and I’ll take those. I’ll trust your taste, buddy!”

“Pretty comfy shop you have there”, he mentioned while he kept walking around the shop, hands stuffed inside his pockets in a tense manner. To them it seemed like he was excited yet also nervous about the date, and so Bloodhound tried to pick the best ones of the flowers for him to bring. First impression always mattered, after all - even if it was only flowers. However, a sudden caw of a raven made the man jump on his place and a scared yelp escaped his mouth.

“W- Wh--” he gasped out while looking at the large bird sitting on one of the shelves above him. The raven, as dark as a winter night, looked down at him with a judging look in its eyes. It spread its wings and cawed again, causing the man to back up a little bit.

“There-- There’s a bird in here! I, uh, erh-- I’ll help you kick it out!” he panicked, while a small smile only rose on Bloodhound's lips at his confusion. “Not like I’m scared of it or anything, but… Jeez, who am I kidding? It’s gonna peck my eyes out, isn’t it?”

“Ah, please do not mind my little companion. Artur knows well enough not to attack customers that behave well,” they calmly assured him.

“Your… Wait. You have a crow as a pet?” the customer asked in disbelief.

“A raven. He is my friend, not a pet, as his nature is not something that I can simply own,” they corrected him in return.

The man just blinked his eyes a few times, his gaze switching from the raven’s dark eyes to Bloodhound’s goggles, but soon he just let out a nervous laughter. The confusion was still clear on his face, but finally he seemed to understand that the raven was no threat to him.

“Riiight.... Nothing weird about it, really… Just… Having a big ass raven sitting around. Calling it a friend and stuff. Totally normal," he scoffed, perhaps trying to hide his earlier scared yelping behind that current and more cocky attitude of his. Bloodhound simply shrugged his comment off as they walked to stand behind the cashier’s table to prepare the small bouquet for him.

“Do you need anything else?” they asked and looked back up at the customer’s own eyes. They were brown and deep, a perfect match with his tanned skin. What they also noticed were the small scars on his face, as well as a mole or two. They had always been the type to notice even the smallest details about everyone - perhaps it was just a trait of theirs that they had learned since a very young age.

“Nah, these are enough. Just tell me how much it is and…” he started while starting to dig his pockets, only for Bloodhound to soon notice a slight panic increasing on his face. They had a doubt about what had happened.

“Wait, uhm-- Huh, this is funny. I totally had my wallet with me a moment ago," the man seemed even more nervous than before. He kept on searching for the wallet, but it seemed almost impossible to find. Loba... at least they knew what to nag about next time they met her.

“I, uh... Sorry, I’ll have to, you know, drop by another time to buy these. I think I dropped my wallet somewhere on my way here,” the customer said with deep shame in his eyes as he chuckled in embarrassment.

“Do not bother your head with it, félagi. I will let it pass this time," Bloodhound told him in a calm tone. They felt partly responsible for it. It had been their friend to take his wallet, after all, and so it would have been unfair to make him come back later for payment.

“Wait. Really? You sure about it?” the man seemed shook after hearing their promise, and the look on his face brightened up even more when they nodded to ensure their earlier words. His brows perked up in surprise and they could see a genuine, thankful look in his eyes.

“Yes. You have an important meeting coming up. Let these flowers be a charm of good luck for you,” they said in a gentle voice. “It is good to bring something for your date, especially during the first meeting... Correct? So take these with you.”

The customer breathed out in relief as he took the flowers in his hands. He nodded coyly and a small, thankful smile curved on his lips. “Thanks. Seriously, I-- I owe you one. Guess a good luck charm could be useful."

When Bloodhound was about to tell him not to worry about it, he had already gotten an idea into his head about how to make it up for them. “Hey! I just opened a café across the street! I'll treat you there, okay? You can bring your girlfriend, too. It's on the house."

This time they were close to finally correct his complete misunderstanding, but the man had already rushed to the door to hurry for his date. “The name’s Elliott, by the way! Just ask the staff to call me when you visit us.”

And though he was in a visible hurry, he stayed at the door and tilted his head in a curious manner. "What can I call you?"

“I’m, uh, new here so it’d be nice to know a few shop holders around. You know, if I need flowers in the future… or something,” the man, Elliott, explained with a nervous-sounding chuckle. Bloodhound simply nodded a little at his words, a warm smile appearing on their lips hidden behind the mask. Though the smile couldn't be seen, the welcoming tone could be heard from their voice.

“I am Blóðhundur, but… most call me Bloodhound,” they introduced themselves. “I have heard it is easier for their tongue.”

Elliott clearly took a moment to process this new information. His brows furrowed as he tried to mouth the first name they had told him, frustration clear on his face as he didn't seem to get it right, no matter how hard he tried.

“Bl… Bloth… Yeah, Bloodhound’s fine. That’s an unique name,” he finally gave up.

Perhaps it was not their birth name, but it was what their uncle had given them. Blóðhundur. Unique in here, often questioned even, but it is a name that they carried with pride.

“But hey, I gotta leave now! Thanks a bunch, buddy. See you later, okay? You better visit my shop!” Elliott hummed in delight as he stepped outside, excitedly waving his hand at the new acquaintance he had already made in this new city. Bloodhound waved their hand at him in return and quietly watched his back disappear in the crowd. 

And perhaps it was good to get some new faces around here. A coffee shop, he had told them before. A good one was something that this square needed, so… Maybe they could give his tea a taste.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OLD NORSE DICTIONARY  
> mínn vinr - my friend  
> félagi - fellow, partner, companion, comrade
> 
> Like always, comments are greatly appreciated! Be it positive or negative feedback, I'll appreciate it all.


	2. Golden Pothos

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bloodhound decides to visit Elliott's café with Loba, and the visit turns out to be surprisingly positive. While in there, they also get an idea regarding their own shop.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NOTE! Chapter includes a small mention or spoiler from Bloodhound's chapter in the book (Pathfinder's Quest). I didn't open it up much more yet, but it mentions a little about them and Boone. There may be future references to it as well, so I suggest that if you don't want to spoil anything to yourself at all, you should wait and read this fic only after you've read the book first!
> 
> Anyway, I hope you'll enjoy the chapter! <3 It took a little longer for me to write this than I planned. I've been doing a lot of shifts at work, but soon I'll have less and I promise to post the third chapter faster than this one.

Bloodhound had never quite been the type to ask for something in return when doing favors. Nonetheless, it had been kind of Elliott to invite them to visit his café, and perhaps they were even interested in trying out the tea flavors his shop had to offer. Bloodhound stood in front of the place and stared at the drink options listed on a menu board, but their company was growing impatient.

“Hound, beautiful, you can decide inside,” Loba told them.

“They may have customers. I do not want to block the line by being indecisive,” they said, voice so quiet that it almost came out as a whisper while they kept wondering what to pick.

“Just pick something and try out the rest later!” she groaned.

And maybe she was correct. The place was located only on the other side of the street from their own shop, and so they could just visit it any time they wanted to. Bloodhound shrugged their shoulders at that, but finally agreed to go with the first option of the list. Blueberry tea.

With Loba’s guide they followed her inside. The decor of the place was quite dark; wooden surfaces and black ceiling, but there were some dots of color coming from different decorations as well. It was almost like something between a bar and a café, but everything was greatly balanced. Whoever from his staff had decorated the place had truly succeeded in their job.

A sudden, excited yelp caught their attention.

“Bloodhound!” Elliott waved his hand from behind the desk. He approached the duo, a wide smile lingering on his lips as he excitedly welcomed them inside.

“Glad that you could make it as well,” he told Loba in a friendly manner.

“Ah, come meet my staff! And pick anything from the list, really. It’s on me,” he said, gesturing for both Bloodhound and Loba to follow him. When his back was finally turned to their direction, Loba looked at her company with a sparkle of interest in the corner of her eye. She made some kissy-faces for Bloodhound, clearly once again trying to imply something about Bloodhound having to go after the guy, but they simply shook it off with a small shake of their head.

Elliott went ahead to gather his staff. He opened a door behind the cashier’s desk, leaned against the doorframe and yelled;

“Ramya! Come upstairs!”

“Bloody hell, Witt! I’m in my pajamas!” a distant response could be heard.

In her pajamas?

“Don’t care. Get your gremlin ass up here!”

“... She works in her pajamas?” Bloodhound asked after a moment of confusion.

“I mean, she’s—Well, technically she’s staff too, but she lives in our basement. With me. That’s why she’s here outside her shifts as well,” Elliott explained. An awkward chuckle fell from his lips and his hand trailed into his hair to ruffle it.

Since the two lived together, it made Bloodhound wonder if they were a pair. However, Elliott had gone on a date the day before as well, so… A sister, perhaps? Nonetheless, it was somewhat surprising to hear that he lived in the basement of his workplace. But being a new arrival in the city, one that had only recently opened a business, perhaps he simply didn’t have the money for his own apartment just yet.

Finally every person on his staff was there.

A short woman with raven-black hair and tired eyes surrounded with black circles introduced herself as Renee. Despite her deadpan face, she didn’t sound even the slightest bit annoyed. Quite frankly, her tone of voice was even friendlier than they would have expected it to be.

Next one to introduce himself was Octavio. It seemed like he was about to burst from all of the energy he had inside, shifting his weight from leg to another while smiling wide at the new arrivals. Even his hair was as energetic as the person carrying it; messy and bright green, and already in Bloodhound’s opinion it suited his personality so very well.

The last one was Ramya. She had finally made her way upstairs, only a pair of loose pajama pants and a small night top covering her up. Her dark brown hair was a mess and she was rubbing her eyes in a tired manner, clearly still tired from only recently waking up.

“Anyway, these guys…” Elliott smiled wide and spread his arms to pull all of his staff members closer to himself. “They’re my family. Gotta love working together with them!”

“Enough with the cheesy stuff, Witt. I’m going back downstairs now, and don’t you dare to wake me up again,” Ramya announced and squirmed her way out of Elliott’s hold, scratching her butt through the light pajama pants as she stomped the stairs down.

A huff left Elliott’s mouth as he placed his hands on his waist, looking after the younger woman with an almost offended expression. Soon enough he turned his face towards the new arrivals again, this time having the more familiar and friendly smile on his lips.

“So! What’d you wanna have?” he asked.

“Mmh… I could take some espresso and a piece of strawberry cake. Now, could you ask your wonderful coworker to make it for me?” Loba asked from him, nodding towards Renee with a sly smile lingering on her lips. “Pretty please?”

“Huh? I mean… She’s more familiar with tea and alcohol, but—Oh? Oh! Oh, okay, yeah, I’ll… I’ll get her to make it for you,” it clearly took a moment for Elliott to realize the reason behind her wish. Loba had never been the type to hide her interest towards people she found attractive or interesting; she had that flirty, attractive nature when she felt like it.

Based on Renee’s expression she seemed rather surprised by Elliott’s suggestion of her to make Loba’s order out of the sudden, but she agreed anyway. Elliott himself, on the other hand, returned to serve Bloodhound with a curious smile lingering on his lips.

“What about you, Houndie?” he asked, already with a nickname.

“I suppose I could have a cup of blueberry tea,” Bloodhound told him, gloved fingers crossed on the table as they looked up at him.

“Ah, I forgot to ask. How did the meeting go yesterday?” they asked. Before they could get any answer out of him, they heard Renee snorting in the background instead. Elliott’s cheeks were flushed red, embarrassment clear on his face. While pouring the coffee for Loba, the black-haired woman decided to explain a little.

“Guess he doesn’t quite understand that magic tricks usually won’t work on people over ten years old,” Renee said and leaned against the counter with her elbows.

“Hey! That’s not true,” Elliott protested.

“She thought that I’m…” for a second he left everyone waiting. “Boring.”

“That your magic tricks are boring,” Renee decided to correct him, only receiving a frustrated groan from Elliott in response. It appeared that he was rather embarrassed about how the date had turned out to be.

“C’mon. Bloodhound even gave me the free flowers and everything to help… I’m already ashamed enough,” he said.

It was a pity to hear that his date hadn’t gone as he had planned, especially after seeing how excited he had been about the meeting the day before. Nonetheless, Bloodhound was sure that there was a meaning behind it all; perhaps it had been a way for the Gods to message him to either do something differently or to go for another person. No one could know.

Elliott had found his way behind the bar counter, mixing the tea they had ordered from him. Soon after he returned and placed the cup in front of them. He had decided to take a small break as well—there weren’t too many customers around—and so he sat beside Bloodhound.

“So, uh… An open relationship?” Elliott asked, gesturing towards their companion. The women had stayed at the desk behind, sharing conversations that left Renee tugging her hair to behind her ear and made a pinkish color appear on her pale cheeks.

“A what?” they asked.

“You and her,” he said in a tone that made it sound like it should have been obvious. “I mean, she’s totally flirting with Renee, isn’t she? Are you, like, open for other people to… you know?”

“Ah, I suppose I forgot to correct you about our bond,” Bloodhound remembered.

“Wait—She’s not your girlfriend?” this time the confusion was clear in his voice.

“No,” their answer was short and blunt, simply honest.

Elliott seemed almost taken aback by the information. He rubbed his jaw through the messy beard scruff, eyes glued at the women behind.

“Huh. Interesting,” he quietly pondered.

“But I am quite sure that she is not currently looking for a third to spend the night with,” Bloodhound decided to mention. Perhaps it was because of the way he was staring at Loba and Renee, making them wonder if he had had some ideas in his mind with his earlier question.

“Wha- Oh, no! No. That’s... That’s not what I was thinking, really!” Elliott panicked.

“Is that so?” Bloodhound hummed in thought.

“Definitely. I swear I had nothing like that on my mind,” he said, voice so genuine that even Bloodhound believed his words. They simply nodded in response to tell him that they understood and believed what he had just told them.

“Hmm. People often tend to assume things about her and try to approach her in uncivilized manners. I am glad if that is not what you had in mind, even though your date did not go as planned,” they explained and dipped a spoon into the berry tea.

“No, yeah. I totally get that,” Elliott chuckled. “Don’t worry about it, buddy.”

Only then his eyes fell on the drink that Bloodhound hadn’t yet even tasted. Elliott glanced up to their goggles, then back down on the tea, then up again.

“Was it bad? Gosh, uh- I can make you another one?” he suggested, but Bloodhound was quick to shake their head.

“No, no. Could I have a straw, please?” Bloodhound asked him. It took a moment, maybe even another, for Elliott to understand why they would need a straw for a cup of tea.

“Oh! Because of the, uh, the mask thing. Yeah, sure, just a second,” he nodded before jumping up and rushing to get one. Once he returned, Elliott dipped the straw into their drink.

“Sorry, didn’t realize to think about it,” his smile was rather apologetic this time.

“Do not worry. I should have mentioned it earlier myself,” they said in a soft tone.

“Why do you wear that, by the way?” Elliott asked. Though they knew that his question hadn’t meant to be rude or intrusive, they simply fell silent until he understood that he wouldn’t get an answer out of them.

“Sorry, uh, I’m… Got too curious, huh?” he laughed in an awkward manner. “Guess Renee’s right. I talk too much. To be honest, sometimes I should just think first and- Wait, I’m rambling again, aren’t I? God, Witt, just shut up for a second! Right?”

Bloodhound blinked their eyes a few times at that, unsure of what to answer. They didn’t mind his chatty nature—perhaps it was rather good for him to be so social since they weren’t really one to talk as much—but he did ramble a lot at times. Was it a sign of nervousness, maybe something else, they couldn’t know and wouldn’t ask.

For a moment silence fell upon them, but Elliott wanted to break it.

“So! You got any ideas for this place?” he asked. “You know, flower-wise.”

Their gaze sailed across the room, a thoughtful hum falling from their lips as they thought about it. If you asked them, pretty much any place would be better with flowers and plants around, and so they would gladly help him to pick out something for his shop.

“Do you have any ideas in mind?” Bloodhound asked him.

“Ah… Just something simple, I guess? Nothing too bright or too difficult to keep alive,” he pondered, a light laughter following his sentence. Someone might have suggested an artificial plant for him, but Bloodhound had never quite enjoyed recommending those. They didn’t have the smell nor the feeling of an actual plant, and you could never watch their growth like a proud mother hen.

“I suppose a simple golden pothos would be suitable,” they said after a moment of thinking.

“It is a very common plant to use in public areas for its great durability, yet it isn’t too difficult to take care of... The plant is simply green, so it would not be too bright either,” they explained, fingers trailing against the wooden surface of the table when falling into their thoughts again. Elliott simply stared at them, head slightly tilted on the left while listening to their opinions on the subject.

“We could use hanging baskets for those. Perhaps we could add something else in regular pots as well… I would help you to decide a proper flower for this environment, one that would survive well yet also be pleasing for the eye,” Bloodhound suggested. They turned their gaze to the other one, staring into his deep brown eyes while waiting for an answer.

“What are your thoughts on it?” they asked, and finally Elliott flinched a little. It was almost as if he had fallen deep into his thoughts, staring directly into their eyes through the worn goggles, listening so patiently and with such genuine interest.

“I love it,” Elliott finally laughed. “Thanks, Bloodhound. I mean, like, seriously. You’re super kind to me, you know, first giving me those flowers and then agreeing to help with this. Thank you.”

And, to be completely honest, they hadn’t waited for him to thank them for such small acts. Bloodhound found it rather common, being friendly to people that were as kind to you as Elliott had been for them. They glanced down to their drink and nodded in response, unsure of what else to answer. As their gaze started to sail across the room, they noticed a piece of paper on the wall with a poor drawing of someone—who, based on their own assumption, was supposed to resemble Elliott himself—showing a thumbs-up.

“You’re hiring?” Bloodhound asked.

“Ah- yeah!” he nodded. “It’s not, like, this quiet in here. Usually, I mean. Octavio’s kinda busy with his other job so I’m trying to find one more person so that he could have less shifts.”

“I see,” they hummed while mixing the drink with the straw in between their fingers.

“By the way, do you have any other employees in your shop?” he asked, a wide and curious smile visible on his lips as he leaned a little closer to them. Almost like from a reflex they moved an inch or two further away from him, shaking their head a little at his question.

“No. I do the shifts alone,” Bloodhound said.

“Wait… Isn’t your shop open every day?” he asked.

“Yes.”

“That can’t be healthy,” Elliott’s tone turned into a questioning one. They stared at him, quiet and serious, brows furrowed in confusion from his sudden and unexpected comment.

“I mean, like, uh… You shouldn’t just work at all times, you know? Couldn’t you just hire someone into your shop as well? You got customers and everything, so I guess it isn’t about the money?” he wondered aloud.

And perhaps he was right. It wasn’t about the money, really, but more about how they enjoyed their own privacy. Bloodhound found the single idea of doing interviews simply exhausting, the whole process of hiring being something that they had tried to avoid, yet they couldn’t help but admit that sometimes they would love to have a full day in their own peace without having to worry about the shop.

“Mmh… I suppose you are correct,” Bloodhound finally agreed.

“Yeah?”

“Yes. Once I return to my shop, I will post a hiring ad online,” they nodded. Elliott smiled wide at their idea, and finally Bloodhound took the straw and slipped it under their respirator. At this point a fond-sounding chuckle fell from the other one’s lips, but he said nothing about it. Bloodhound knew it was an unique sight, seeing them drink this way in public places.

Only then did they notice to look at the clock on the wall. Bloodhound’s brows tilted up as they realized how much time had already passed, knowing that they should soon return to their own shop and not make the break much longer. Spending time with Elliott had been something that had taken their sense of time elsewhere, made them forget about the responsibilities for a second. Perhaps it wasn’t a good sign, not for an usually reliable person like Bloodhound themselves, yet they had enjoyed their time nonetheless.

“I should get going,” Bloodhound said.

“Thank you for the tea, Elliott. The taste was pleasant,” they thanked him in a soft tone.

“Really? Good thing that you liked it! It’s, uh, it’s my mom’s old recipe,” his lips curved into a smile. When talking about his mom, his smile seemed even more genuine than before. Bloodhound always appreciated recipes running in the family, and so the shared tea experience became even better. They also enjoyed making teas that Artur had taught them, the feeling of it so wonderful that it almost made them feel like they’d get a piece of their childhood and the shared moments with their late uncle back.

“Anyway! I’ll… Escort you to the door?” he suggested and stood up. Bloodhound was about to take the empty cup into their hands, but Elliott was faster, his smile telling them not to worry about it as he took it to a dish cart instead.

With Elliott’s guide they walked to the door. It took a moment for Loba to return as well—it appeared that she had maybe exchanged numbers with the other lady—but soon she tagged along and wrapped her hands around their thin arm.

“Thank you for having us,” she smiled at Elliott. “It was a fun visit.”

“Yeah, no problem! Hopefully you’ll, uh, come again? Sometime?” his unsure gaze and awkward smile were turned to Bloodhound’s direction as he crossed his fingers, shoulders growing tense.

“Of course, beautiful. I’m sure Bloodhound enjoyed the time they spent with you as well,” she purred and turned her golden gaze to meet with theirs. “Am I right?”

And though Bloodhound was sure that they hadn’t been the most ideal company to have, they had to admit that they had, indeed, enjoyed the visit as well. The café was something that the block had needed, and it was truly a joy that Elliott had brought such a vivid place in there.

“I will visit again,” Bloodhound promised. “I want to try out the other tea flavors, too.”

Elliott’s unsure smile turned into an excited one at that, so wide that his teeth showed as he laughed a little.

“Great! Great. But, uh, I hope you’ll have a great day and… Well, I guess we both gotta go back to work now?” he said, to which Bloodhound agreed with a small nod of their head. He shot playful finger guns at the pair, waving his hand before rushing back inside to catch up with his fellow employees.

“Now… Why did he invite me as well?” Loba asked and wrapped her arms tighter around their arm, a curious smile lingering on her painted lips as the two started to walk forward.

“He thought we were be a pair,” they said. It caused a scoff to fall from her mouth.

“You did correct him, right?” she asked. Loba was already used to people getting such thoughts about the duo—it was almost like you couldn’t show any physical affection towards your loved ones without immediately being considered a romantic pair.

“I don’t want such misunderstanding to ruin my chance with the other one, after all…” her dreamy voice was near to make Bloodhound sigh, but they held it in.

“I corrected him, yes,” they nodded.

“Good,” Loba giggled at that. “Now you’ll have a better chance with him as well, yes?”

“Loba…”

“Sorry, sorry. I just think you should give love another chance,” her smile turned into a fond one.

And Bloodhound knew that her intentions were good. After what happened with Boone, their first love, and with everyone in their family… They hadn’t quite felt ready to open up their heart again, only to be ripped into pieces as another loss would always follow.

They weren't ready for the pain. Perhaps they would never be.

* * *

“You asked me to come?” Tae Joon’s voice could be heard from across the shop.

“Yes,” Bloodhound nodded.

“I was thinking about posting a hiring ad online,” they explained, finger clicking against the mouse as they read the texts on the screen of their old laptop while the other one approached them.

“Which site did you use when setting up yours?” they soon asked. Tae Joon had his own shop on the other side of the wall, and Bloodhound knew that he had a few employees around. It was an IT-shop of some kind, and due to them being business neighbors, they both visited each other’s shops at times for different reasons.

“Ah… Let me check,” Tae Joon muttered. He leaned closer and typed in a popular hiring site that he liked to use himself, humming a quiet melody while already setting up the base for their ad.

“What do you want it to say?” he asked, and though Bloodhound could have written and done it themselves, they decided to let him do it. Seeing how fast he could write with the laptop must have been a gift from the Gods—the speed felt almost inhuman for them.

“Need help with a flower shop,” Bloodhound started. They watched Tae Joon’s fingers move on the keyboard, wondering what to tell him to write next. They hadn’t really planned it beforehand.

“Do not be allergic to ravens. Email me for an interview,” they soon finished.

Tae Joon stopped for a while, staring at them with a questioning look on his face, but he wrote up what they had asked him to. He continued to add the address of the shop and the contact information of the owner, that being Bloodhound themselves, and soon he was ready.

“... Are you sure you don’t want to add anything else?” he asked.

“I think it has everything that's necessary to know,” they nodded in a determined way.

“Okay,” Tae Joon said. He had never been the type to chat much, nor to question their ideas, and so he simply clicked the _“post”_ button and sent the ad for everyone to see.

“Posted. Now you just wait.”

“Thank you. I appreciate your help,” Bloodhound told him, but Tae Joon simply shook his head in response. He was quite humble when it came to small favors like these.

“Anytime,” he said. “I’ll get going, then. Tell me if you find someone, okay? Don’t hire some idiot.”

With that he walked away, waving his hand at Bloodhound with his back faced into their direction, while they just stayed in their place and stared at the screen. And while they were nervous about the idea of having someone around in their small shop, they couldn’t help with the curiosity and anticipation either; in a way, they were already awaiting for the first application to arrive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like always, comments are greatly appreciated! If there's something I could improve with, something that you like in certain, feel free to tell me in the comment section! <3 Like I said, I'll be faster with the next chapter than with this one.


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